Chilcot inquiry to hear ‘illegal’ Iraq war claim

EXPLOSIVE evidence showing the British government was “clearly advised” the Iraq war was illegal will be disclosed at the Chilcot inquiry just days before Tony Blair gives evidence.

Michael Wood, the Foreign Office’s chief legal adviser, is expected to reveal he believed the war was unlawful without a second United Nations resolution.

Elizabeth Wilmshurst, a senior lawyer who quit in protest at the invasion, will also tell the inquiry she was not “a voice in the wilderness” in harbouring doubts over the legitimacy of military action, the Independent on Sunday newspaper reported.

She is expected to claim Wood told then attorney general Peter Goldsmith of his reservations days before the attack on Baghdad began in 2003.

Philippe Sands QC, an expert on the legality of the war, told the paper the inquiry had received documentary evidence of Wood’s reservations – but is yet to publish it.

Professor Sands, director of the Centre on International Courts and Tribunals at University College London, said both the Foreign Office’s most senior legal advisers opposed the invasion. He told the paper: “The inquiry has before it documentary evidence confirming the point that Michael saw the invasion as unlawful. It is more explicit than anything we have ever seen before.”

Goldsmith will appear at the inquiry on Thursday, 24 hours before Blair.

As Blair arrives a delegation of protesters plan to give the “people’s dossier” of questions to John Chilcot. The disclosures came after British Prime Minister Gordon Brown finally bowed to intense political pressure and agreed to appear before the inquiry before the general election.

It is expected he will appear in late February or early March.

Meanwhile, bookies in Britain yesterday suspended betting on the date of the general election after a cabinet minister appeared to let slip that it would be May 6.

Defence Secretary Bob Ainsworth said voters “will wake up and rue the day if they wind up with a Conservative government in charge of this country after May 6”.